1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to an apparatus and a method for controlling the backlight of a dispenser and a function button array of a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for generating cool air using the phase change of a cooling medium, thereby maintaining a predetermined low-temperature condition. Due to the improvement of living level and consumers' tastes preferring multi-functional and large-sized products, refrigerators are gradually getting larger in size. Consequently, two-door refrigerators (or side-by-side refrigerators), which have a large capacity, have been recently fabricated.
A dispenser is provided on the front side of a door of such a two-door refrigerator, which allows ice or water within the refrigerator to be dispensed without opening the door. The dispenser prevents cool air within the refrigerator from being discharged to the outside of the refrigerator, because the dispenser allows a user to receive ice or water through it without opening the door.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a refrigerator having a dispenser as described above.
As shown in the drawing, a refrigerator body 1 having a reservoir within the inside thereof has a freezing chamber door 3, which is provided on a half-part of the refrigerator body 1. Because one end of the freezing chamber door 3 is rotatable about the other end thereof, the door 3 functions to open or close the reservoir.
The freezing chamber door 3 is provided with a dispenser 5. The dispenser 5 has a recess 7, which is depressed so that an ice receptacle, a cup or the like can be received in the recess 7. On the rear side of the recess 7, there is provided an operation lever 8, which is operated by an ice receptacle or the like so as to adjust the amount of ice or water to be discharged.
In addition, above the recess 7, there are provided a display unit 10 for displaying the operating condition of the refrigerator, and an operating panel 13 having a manipulation button array 11 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator or the like.
With the above-mentioned arrangement, when a user positions an ice receptacle or a cup in the recess 7 in a state in which the freezing chamber door 7 is closed and then presses the operation lever 8 backward, a predetermined amount of ice or water will be discharged depending on the pressing action upon the operation lever 8.
However, according to the prior art, if the user wishes to receive ice or water through the dispenser 5 in the dark of nighttime, there is a problem in that the user cannot recognize the amount of ice or water with the naked eye. Therefore, when the user receives ice or water through the dispenser, there will be unnecessary inconvenience in that the user should turn on a light fixture.
In addition, when the peripheral area of the refrigerator is very dark, it is difficult to correctly use the dispenser 5 because it is substantially impossible to find the correct position of the dispenser 5.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling a lamp in a refrigerator, which allows a user to correctly receive ice or water through a dispenser without turning on a lighting fixture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator which control the on/off operation of the lamp by comparing the current luminous intensity of the peripheral area of a refrigerator with a reference luminous intensity, which is variable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, which allow a user to recognize information concerning the luminous intensity of the peripheral area of the refrigerator.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, which control backlights of a dispenser and a manipulation button array positioned on a front panel.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, including: a dispenser provided on a refrigerator door; at least one lamp installed within the dispenser for illuminating the dispenser; and a control unit for controlling the on/off operation of the at least one lamp.
The dispenser may include: a rotary member which rotates by a predetermined angle as an operation lever provided in the dispenser is operated; and a duct door for selectively opening and closing an ice duct, through which ice is discharged when the rotary member is rotated. It is preferable that the dispenser further includes a guide member for guiding the ice, the guide member being formed from a transparent material.
The lamp may be fixedly installed on a surface of the rotary member so as to illuminate the inner side of the dispenser when the duct door closes the ice duct. In addition, a rotation restraint piece may be provided on a surface of the duct door in such a manner as to extend outward farther than the lamp in order to prevent the fracture of the lamp when the door duct is opened.
The control unit controls the on/off operation of the lamp depending on the operation of a manipulation button array provided in the dispenser.
The control unit also controls the on/off operation of the lamp when the operation lever is operated.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, including: at least one lamp for illuminating a dispenser provided on a refrigerator door; a sensor formed on the front surface of the refrigerator or within the dispenser for measuring the surrounding brightness; and a control unit which compares the measured luminous intensity and a previously set reference luminous intensity and controls the brightness of the lamp according to the result of the comparison.
Here, the apparatus may further include a display unit for displaying the measured luminous intensity and/or the reference luminous intensity, a memory unit for storing the reference luminous intensity, and a manipulation button array for renewing the reference luminous intensity.
In addition, the reference luminous intensity is a reference value for lightening the lamp, which may be increased or decreased by a predetermined increment.
The reference luminous intensity and the measured luminous intensity may be indicated by numerical characters, graphs, geometrical figures, or a combination thereof.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, including: a dispenser provided in a refrigerator door; a lamp positioned in a recess of the dispenser for illuminating the recess with a brightness corresponding to an input of a power source voltage; a lamp driving unit for supplying the power source voltage corresponding to a driving control signal; a sensor for sensing the surrounding brightness of the refrigerator; and a control unit which is capable of varying the driving control signal in such a manner that the brightness of the lamp is changed in response to the output of the sensor.
Here, the apparatus may further include a button lamp positioned behind a manipulation panel which is provided with a manipulation button array for manipulating the operation condition of the refrigerator, wherein the button lamp illuminates the manipulation panel with a predetermined level of luminous intensity, and a living organism sensor, such as a remote infrared sensor or a pyroelectric sensor, for sensing heat emanating from a human body so as to detect whether living organisms exist around the refrigerator.
It is preferable that the lamp and the button lamp are connected to the output of the lamp driving unit in parallel and concurrently controlled when the operation lever or the manipulation button array is operated.
In addition, a light guide plate may be interposed between the button lamp and the manipulation button array so as to guide light projected from the button lamp to a wide area.
The driving control signal produced by the control unit may include a first driving mode for lightening the lamp and/or the button lamp with the minimum brightness, a second driving mode for lightening the lamp and/or the button lamp with the maximum brightness, a third driving mode for rendering the lamp and/or the button lamp to be reduced in brightness from a maximum brightness to a minimum brightness during a predetermined length of time, and a fourth driving mode for rendering the lamp and/or the button lamp to be reduced in brightness from a maximum brightness to an off status during a predetermined length of time.
According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned objects, there is provided a method for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, including steps of: comparing a previously set reference luminous intensity and a surrounding brightness; turning on at least one lamp for illuminating a dispenser provided on a refrigerator door when it is determined that the surrounding brightness is equal to or lower than the reference luminous intensity as the result of the comparison.
The method may further include step of displaying at least one of the reference luminous intensity and the surrounding intensity.
When a demand of changing the reference luminous intensity is made, the reference luminous intensity is changed by being increased or decreased by a predetermined increment, and when the demand of changing the reference luminous intensity is made, the reference luminous intensity is displayed after the predetermined increment of increase or decrease is applied to the reference luminous intensity, so that the changed reference luminous intensity is confirmed in comparison to the surrounding brightness.
The comparison between the reference luminous intensity and the surrounding brightness is executed when an operation lever is operated, the operation lever being provided in the dispenser.
In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a lamp of a refrigerator, including steps of: driving the lamp with a minimum luminous intensity corresponding to the surrounding brightness of the refrigerator; driving the lamp with a maximum luminous intensity in response to the detection of a user approaching the refrigerator or the operation of an operation lever provided on a dispenser of the refrigerator; and controlling the brightness of the lamp in such a manner that the lightened lamp is gradually darkened to the minimum brightness during a predetermined length of time in response to the release of the operation lever.
In the lamp brightness controlling step, the effective voltage of the power source inputted into the lamp is gradually reduced.
The method may further include step of detecting the conditions of nighttime and daytime in response to the output of an illumination sensor for sensing the surrounding brightness of the refrigerator. If the operation lever is operated when the nighttime condition is detected in the detecting step, the lamp is driven with the maximum brightness, and when the operation lever is released, the lightened lamp is gradually darkened to the minimum brightness and then turned off during a predetermined length of time.
The minimum brightness includes the turned-off condition of the lamp.
According to the present invention configured as described above, because a predetermined level of illumination is provided from at least one lamp when ice/water is dispensed from the dispenser, the dispenser is easy to use. In addition, because the lamp is turned on depending on the result of the comparison between the surrounding brightness of the dispenser and a previously set reference luminous intensity, the reference luminous intensity being changeable, the condition for turning on the lamp can be controlled according to the surrounding environment or user's taste. In addition, the brightness of the lamp can be tuned.